Tenant Rights - Landlord Access

Soldato
OP
Joined
7 Nov 2002
Posts
12,474
Location
Snorbans, UK
The fact you're not leaving personal items in the common area does sort of indicate that the bits he's visiting are simply basic facilities provided for you to use. It is your room that you're renting and can expect to have quiet enjoyment of.

The text messages could well be excessive, especially over the trivial stuff - but are you exaggerating a bit there re: "most days of the week?"

I mean if you are literally getting a text message off him 4 or more days a week then that does seem rather needless and worth having a word with him about.

I thought as much, re: room vs communal area.

Sadly I'm not exaggerating, we receive 4-5 messages a week about the house. Some of it is needed, ie letting us know about maintenance issues etc, the rest is just moaning about trivial things. The latest was threatening to charge us if a significant other stayed overnight at the house for more than 2 nights a month and demanding that we seek "approval" with 48 hours notice.
 
Soldato
Joined
5 Mar 2010
Posts
12,305
I thought as much, re: room vs communal area.

Sadly I'm not exaggerating, we receive 4-5 messages a week about the house. Some of it is needed, ie letting us know about maintenance issues etc, the rest is just moaning about trivial things. The latest was threatening to charge us if a significant other stayed overnight at the house for more than 2 nights a month and demanding that we seek "approval" with 48 hours notice.

What do your other flatmates think about it all? I'm surprised noones told him to **** off and get a life - although bit risky if he then serves you notice.

Like someone said earlier, sounds like a wannabe landlord who's had to give up his home to rent out and is on a bit of a power trip regarding what people can/should do there.
 
Soldato
Joined
20 Oct 2002
Posts
17,854
Location
London
He can enter all communal areas whenever he likes.
Legally you can't stop him if you only rent a room, perhaps ask him to give you notice out of courtesy.
I don't know very much about HMOs but is this true? If the OP wanted to get on the defensive and lives with more than 4 other people he could check the landlords has a HMO licence from his council, as that would be required :o

Text messages most weeks sounds totally excessive. Honestly I would get all your housemates to start ignoring them and see how he reacts. Even popping round once a week is ridiculous. And to do it to complain about washing up even more-so. You are entitled to "quiet enjoyment of your home" or whatever it's called.

I have a house inspection every 3 months, but she gives me like week notice asking me for date/time to turn up. Just has quick poke around and leaves....
It really surprises me how landlords find it acceptable to treat their tenants like children.

Legalities aside it's probably best for everyone to "be around" next time he comes over and talk it through with him. Just explain that it's a bit overbearing having him come in all the time etc.

The latest was threatening to charge us if a significant other stayed overnight at the house for more than 2 nights a month and demanding that we seek "approval" with 48 hours notice.
Actually scrap all that. He's a ****ing ****head, clearly :rolleyes: With regards to this specifically, if it's not in your contract he can jog on. The belittling, money-grabbing little ****.
 
Caporegime
Joined
1 Dec 2010
Posts
52,088
Location
Welling, London
I thought as much, re: room vs communal area.

Sadly I'm not exaggerating, we receive 4-5 messages a week about the house. Some of it is needed, ie letting us know about maintenance issues etc, the rest is just moaning about trivial things. The latest was threatening to charge us if a significant other stayed overnight at the house for more than 2 nights a month and demanding that we seek "approval" with 48 hours notice.
Sounds like that Fawlty towers episode where Basil thought one of the guests was sneaking a bird in.
 
Caporegime
Joined
29 Jan 2008
Posts
58,898
Sadly I'm not exaggerating, we receive 4-5 messages a week about the house. Some of it is needed, ie letting us know about maintenance issues etc, the rest is just moaning about trivial things.

I think you'd be quite right to request that he doesn't contact you so often, that you don't wish to be contacted unless it is about people having to visit the flat or renew contracts etc...

The latest was threatening to charge us if a significant other stayed overnight at the house for more than 2 nights a month and demanding that we seek "approval" with 48 hours notice.

Is there anything about that in the contract? Obviously you can't just move someone in on an ongoing basis but if someone who lives elsewhere stays over or say your mate from Australia/the US etc.. comes to visit and stays for a week or two then frankly AFAIK he can jog on...

You certainly shouldn't need to give advanced notice - could be amusing to text him at 3am on a Saturday to let him know you've pulled and Sharron from Essex will be staying over tonight! :D
 
Permabanned
Joined
28 Nov 2003
Posts
10,695
Location
Shropshire
I used to know a lad who was staunchly anti landlord and constantly battered people's ears with complaints of intrusive questions and behaviour from his property owner until the day he inherited his grandparents' property which he was advised to rent out. Oh boy how his attitudes had changed a couple of years and three bad tenants later....
 
Last edited:
Soldato
Joined
20 Oct 2002
Posts
17,854
Location
London
I used to know a lad who was staunchly anti landlord and constantly battered people's ears with complaints of intrusive questions and behaviour from his property oner until the day he inherited his grandparents property which he was advised to rent out. Oh boy how his attitudes had changed a couple of years and three bad tenants later....
And what exactly did they do? Scuffed the walls a bit? Spilt some red wine on the carpet? lol. I'm sure he still has the house and has made some nice little earnings out of it, right? If you think the anti-landlord brigade is bad you should hear how landlords talk about tenants -- oh and how they treat them.

You certainly shouldn't need to give advanced notice - could be amusing to text him at 3am on a Saturday to let him know you've pulled and Sharron from Essex will be staying over tonight! :D
OP should definitely do this. Preferably with a voicemail.
 
Associate
Joined
11 Jul 2012
Posts
1,539
Location
Nomadic
"Your kitchen bin is a little full (it wasn't), please consider emptying it soon".

An easy reply would be;

"Thank you for your text message. We have considered emptying the bin, but decided against it. Kind regards. Westy."

I also had a landlady who used to do this. Again, random people renting rooms from her but communal spaces were considered shared but not exclusively rented by us. She used to just appear several times a week and complain about things. I once had a text off her while I was at work saying something like 'I'm going to rearrange the furniture in your room today'. I very quickly informed her she did not have permission to go into my room, and my furniture was to stay where it was.

In my 11 months there, in the 4 bed house I saw 9 people come and go, excluding me. And she wondered why she had such a high turnover!
 
Soldato
OP
Joined
7 Nov 2002
Posts
12,474
Location
Snorbans, UK
An easy reply would be;

"Thank you for your text message. We have considered emptying the bin, but decided against it. Kind regards. Westy."

I also had a landlady who used to do this. Again, random people renting rooms from her but communal spaces were considered shared but not exclusively rented by us. She used to just appear several times a week and complain about things. I once had a text off her while I was at work saying something like 'I'm going to rearrange the furniture in your room today'. I very quickly informed her she did not have permission to go into my room, and my furniture was to stay where it was.

In my 11 months there, in the 4 bed house I saw 9 people come and go, excluding me. And she wondered why she had such a high turnover!

All of us that lived there received the message about SOs staying over. He received an array of sarcastic responses which were thinly veiled "**** off", so I think the overall message was received. :D
 
Soldato
Joined
5 Mar 2010
Posts
12,305
All of us that lived there received the message about SOs staying over. He received an array of sarcastic responses which were thinly veiled "**** off", so I think the overall message was received. :D

It might sound harsh, but some people need to be bluntly told. He might only understand bluntless to realise he's probably overstepping the mark here.
 
Man of Honour
Joined
13 Oct 2006
Posts
90,805
This is why (along with too many inconsiderate people who've not evolved far enough to be sharing a space) I won't do house shares and the likes - but increasingly rising cost of housing makes it more necessary for more and more people.
 
Soldato
Joined
21 Apr 2007
Posts
6,590
I thought as much, re: room vs communal area.

Sadly I'm not exaggerating, we receive 4-5 messages a week about the house. Some of it is needed, ie letting us know about maintenance issues etc, the rest is just moaning about trivial things. The latest was threatening to charge us if a significant other stayed overnight at the house for more than 2 nights a month and demanding that we seek "approval" with 48 hours notice.

I wouldn't tolerate that tbh.

4-5 messages a week? you are kidding me! I would actually tell him to grow up and **** off. If he evicts me so be it I wouldn't want to live in a place like that.
 
Back
Top Bottom